Hey everyone. So, couple of weeks ago I traded my 1996 Civic for a Honda Accord 2000 EX 2.3L 4 Cylinder SOHC, 5 speed manual transmission. Yesterday as I was coming from work I noticed that the engine seemed like it wanted to die on a hill. So I turned off the A/C because usually that's the reason it decreases on hills. However, it started to die more than usual, and then the check engine light started flashing ( it was on, but it was solid, due to pressure regulator supposedly being bad and I believe one O2 sensor). I stopped the car and let it rest but it seemed normal but I could tell that it obviously had a missfire. I kept on driving until I got home even though I know I shouldn't have but I was too far away and had no morey to tow it. As I was driving down the highway it seemed to go back to normal. However when I took the exit home it started missfiring again. I got home and I took out the spark plugs and they seemed to be fine for the most part except for the cylinder 2 one which had more grayish deposits than the other 3 cylinders (they were Autolite spark plugs which I know aren't that good to begin with). I went to Autozone and purchased a new spark plug (NGK) and installed it (just to test it and then I would replace the other 3). However that didn't solve anything so I took it to Autozone which is close to my house (not even a minute away) and had them scan it. It came out with cylinder 2 missfire(which I already knew) and possible cases of it were the distributor cap, spark plugs or wires. I checked for spark on all of the wires and there is a spark on all of them ( I got shocked btw). The spark plug was brand new, and the wires are new because the previous owner installed them. I came back home and changed the distributor cap and the rotor inside the distributor ( I forgot what is called) with another distributor I have from one of the same year Accord. I got no luck, so I checked the fuel injectors with a flat head screwrdriver ( and my ear) and they all seem to be clicking. I really have no clue as to what else this could be. Could the pressure regulator cause this? Would the injectors still click if they are clogged? I know that it had a sound before as if one of the lifters was going, could it also be the cause of this? I noticed earlier that if I was in neutral and I revved it and let it drop it would sort of want to die and then go back up (and by die I mean that it went down to less than 500 rpm). Does anybody have any idea about this? I am going to try and replace the whole distributor and get it to the right timing and see if that solves it but honestly I don't think it will since there is spark on every single cable. I also noticed that there isn't any difference when I take out the spark wire on cylinder 2, but there is when I remove it on all of the other cylinders. However that spark plug is brand new like I mentioned. I also checked all of the fuses inside and under the hood and they are all perfectly working. Also the serpertine belt seems to be loose and its making noise when turning it on and then it shuts up, but I don't think that could be the cause of this problem either since it was running perfectly fine, except for the noise and besides that has nothing to do with the cylinders, but who knows, the cluster miles started going crazy over a cruise control blown fuse the other day. Hondas are good but unpredictable lol.

 

you can clear the code and swap the number 2 injector with another and see if the misfire follows the injector

if not, then you might want to check the valve clearance

 

Alright. Thanks I'll be doing that today and get back to you.

 

could also be egr ports plugged up so try that third if the others don't fix

can also compression test to see the health of 2nd cylinder

just throwing ideas at ya

 

Ok so, I changed the wires and nothing. I also checked the fuel injectors pulling them outta there and they seem to be working. I noticed that on cylinder 2, instead of a constant click, click, click like on cylinder 1's spark plug wire, its more like a click, stop, click - click, and stop. So it seems like something is outta order. However, I tried replacing the ignition and I miss placed it and the two spokes broke inside the cam. So today, I'll be trying to take those out and replace the modules and everything else on the other igntion. Thanks!

 

Broke two off the cam? What the distributor lugs? It only seats one way..if you have too force it or it dont sit flush it's 180 off...i would swap out injector #2 with another cylinder and see if the misfire follows..dont just throw money at it...find the root cause

 

Yeah the spokes broke off inside the cam but I retrieved them with a magnet. I also swapped out the injectos and still cylinder 2 is misfiring. I tried resetting the check engine light and it's still there and now the check engine light won't come on even if left running for a while. I swapped out the modules and everything inside the ignition that was good but broke off into the original one and everything started good but the misfire is still there. Also the valves seem to be good and there is no water inside so is not a headgasket. The code that is throwing is p0302. I was doing a little research and it said it could be the EGR system, Mass Air Flow Sensor, Throttle Position Sensor, Defective Crankshaft or Camshaft sensor, or low or weak fuel pressure (which btw the fuel pressure regulator was bad because it threw a code for it), or a vacumm leak. I don't know in what way should I approach this. Should I start by replacing the fuel pressure regulator?

 

Update: So I replaced the fuel pressure regulator and no changes. I then did a compression test on cylinder 2 and it only gave 30 psi. While all the others are giving 120. So I'm guessing that a valve or piston went bad or cracked. Im gonna be dismanteling everything apart and take it to a mechanic shop and see what I can do. I'll be replacing the water pump and timing chain since Im gonna take everything apart. Hopefully is not a headgasket, which I don't think so since it hasn't overheated and there is no coolant leaking or being lost or white stuff on the oil or oil mixed with coolant on the radiator, so most likely it is either a piston or some valves on that cylinder.. Hopefully its a valve. I'm gonna take a look with a camera through the spark plug hole into the piston and see if I can spot anything tomorrow.. Fingers crossed its a valve. Thanks for the help!

 

120 is low for the other cylinders..i would do a leak down and see exactly what's wrong.

 

I'll take that into consideration. Maybe it's time to get rid of my honda :'( I guess I'm going to acura's now.

 

it's not the end of the world, somehow something in cylinder 2, likely a valve, got bent somehow, just pull the head and send it off to a shop and ask them to vacuum test it to see which side it is, intake or exhaust, and have them pick up a new valve or valves and regrind them and slap it back on with a new head gasket and torque it all to spec and you should be back to running again

as long as you do your own work it's not the end of the world when you have an issue with a cylinder

 

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't post in a while but I did pull the head of and sent it to a machine shop because one of the valves had broken off. So they replaced that valve and shaved the head and it looks brand new now and I put a new head gasket and everything on since I bought a kit. However, now the car won't go past 4,000 rpm as if it had a rev limiter. However, I did notice that maybe when I was pulling the head out I broke one of the sensor that goes into the vtec solenoid (I believe). Could it be that sensor that is causing this problem? There's no check engine light and its been a day running after I put everything back in. I do notice that the car is running ridiculously low on idle that sometimes it even turns off but that could be a bad idle air control valve. Im more concern about it not passing 4,000 rpm. If it is that sensor, can I go pull one of the junk yard and just wire it to the broken cable anf plug it in?

 

The metal part of that cable(the tip), I have no idea where it went but is definitely not inside the other end stuck.



Btw this is how its looking.

 

Alright so I found what the problem was. My brother had plugged the vtec plug into the fan and the fan one somehow and that's what was keeping it from revving up past 4,000 and the fan were on all the time. As for the plug to the vtec solenoid I just cut the plug and put them together with some tape (for now).

 

you broke the sensor, or just pulled the wire out?